Marianna Litovich (left), executive director for All Our Kids Inc., joined the “So That Reminds Me” team to talk about foster care in Western Massachusetts and the local nonprofit’s efforts to support and empower foster families in the region.
Reminder Publishing photo by Chris Maza
May is Foster Care Awareness Month and All Our Kids launched a public service campaign aimed at raising awareness of the unique challenges faced by foster families and the state of foster care in Western Massachusetts.
To highlight the campaign and other programs and resources the organization offers, All Our Kids Founder and Executive Director Marianna Litovich, sat down with hosts Dennis Hackett and Lauren LeBel on the May 23 episode of Reminder Publishing’s podcast, “So That Reminds Me.”
AOK was started by Litovich, who has now adopted three times and fostered numerous other children. AOK, a Western Massachusetts-based nonprofit supporting foster and adoptive families, serves over 2,000 individuals annually and operates independently of the Department of Children and Families and relies on community support to continue its mission.
Litovich discussed the number of families they help and said, “I think it’s kind of heartbreaking and mind-boggling honestly to learn about these statistics because we have almost 2,000 kiddos in Western Massachusetts roughly in the four western countries who are in foster care currently whether they’re in foster care with a relative or with somebody that they don’t know. Almost 2,000 kids in Western Massachusetts. There are over 9,000 kids across the state, there are hundreds or thousands of kids across the country. It’s a serious problem.”
AOK began when Litovich recognized a lack of opportunities for foster and adoptive families to connect and started a social media group to provide a space for shared experiences and mutual support.
After realizing there was a broader need to start a community for foster families she launched an online needs assessment in January 2017 to identify the key challenges facing foster and adoptive families and explore solutions.
AOK provides programs and services to empower families to thrive by increasing community connectedness. Litovich explained that although they are willing to offer advice, they do not license families to become foster parents and do not place children in foster homes.
Instead, Litovich said, “We felt really committed and compelled to start a nonprofit after we actually had a Facebook group. It all started with a little Facebook group and it grew and grew with lots of families who were all over Western Massachusetts and we all feeling similarly to us like isolated, alone, just kind of their floating in the sea of uncertainty that is foster care.”
Most of the members involved in the organization have experience with foster care or are foster parents.
As part of the awareness efforts and campaign, All Our Kids hosted an open house on May 7 for the community to meet AOK families and tour its new space at 6 Open Square Way, which they moved into in August 2024.
Litovich said the open house was also to let people know, “that we’re here and that we have lots and lots of opportunities for the public to support us and to become involved.”
The space for AOK was transformed into offices upstairs and a community closet downstairs, with other activity rooms downstairs for foster families to acquire new or like-new clothing, toys, games, books, bags, backpacks, diapers, formulas, shoes and small furniture.
There is no cost to foster and adoptive families for these items. Hours for the community closet are Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or anytime by appointment.
Foster families can also join AOK Connect on Facebook, a private group for foster and adoptive families. Those looking to be a part of the Facebook group can search “AOK Connect” and ask to join. You will be asked to answer a few questions and submit them to verify your eligibility.
Litovich said the Facebook group is currently composed of around 550 in the group who are either expressing problems they are facing and looking for answers from the group.
“It’s really nice to be able to ask things in real time and often get answers to your questions immediately from someone who has been there,” Litovich stated.
With foster care potential presenting challenges of finding families who are willing to take on the responsibility of fostering a child, Litovich said, “My biggest concern in our commonwealth is that in Western Massachusetts, we have about a quarter of the kids in care. It’s the same in a place like Boston. Boston also has a quarter of the kids in care, but Boston also has a quarter of the population of the state whereas in Western Massachusetts we have less than 10% of the population of the state so it’s a lot harder to find and keep families who are able to take care of these children than it is in a more populated area.”
For more information about AOK, the foster care community, benefits and programs, check out the full episode at thereminder.com/our-podcast or search So That Reminds Me on your favorite podcasting platform.
Readers can also check out the All Our Kids’ website at fosteringaok.org.
